Uruguay Manager Marcelo Bielsa believes his players deserve an apology rather than sanctions. To enter the stands After the team’s 1-0 win, he got into a fight with Colombian fans at Bank of America Stadium. America’s Cup Semi-final defeat.
Darwin Nunez, Uruguay players scuffle with Colombia fans in the stands
A furious Bielsa accused tournament organisers of not doing enough to protect the families of the players sitting behind the Uruguayan bench, and justified the players taking matters into their own hands to protect their loved ones.
“We are in the United States, a country of security,” Bielsa said through an interpreter during an emotional 45-minute news conference on Friday. “How could you not defend a mother, a sister, a baby? If they didn’t, we would all be condemning them.”
South American football’s governing body, CONMEBOL, said on Thursday that its disciplinary committee had opened an investigation. “It is unacceptable that such incidents turn passion into violence,” the federation said in a statement.
Bielsa bristled when asked if he feared his team would be sanctioned.
“The sanctions are not only for the footballers, but also for those who forced them to do this,” Bielsa said. “This is a witch hunt. It’s shameful.”
Uruguay had the option of seating families in luxury boxes instead of sitting in the crowd.
The team returns to the same stadium for the third-place game against Canada on Saturday night. The crowd is expected to be quieter, but the same level of security is planned.
A raucous crowd of more than 70,000 people attended the game Wednesday night at the downtown Charlotte Arena, home of the NFL’s Carolina Panthers and Charlotte FC, many of whom wore Colombian flags.
There were only a few Uruguayan fans in the stands when the match started, most of whom were behind the team bench.
After an emotional and physical game that included seven yellow cards and one red card, fighting broke out in the stands and drinks were thrown. Pushing and punching ensued. The brawl grew in scale with the number of people involved, including more than a dozen Uruguayan players. Darwin NunezI climbed a small portable staircase and entered the crowd.
Bielsa said there were not enough precautions in place and no escape routes were provided for Uruguayan fans. A number of Uruguayan Football Association representatives went down to the pitch and escaped the fight, while Mecklenburg County police and security restored order as the stadium was cleared.
The brawl in the stands lasted more than five minutes.
At one point during the press conference, Bielsa got into a heated argument with a reporter, who then walked out.
“Instead of asking if he is afraid of being sanctioned, ask if he has received an apology,” Bielsa shouted.
Bielsa said he had not planned to speak about the incident but could not resist saying so.
“I am very afraid of sporting revenge,” Bielsa said. “They always threaten you in sport. The message here is that we cannot defend your family and we cannot allow them to get away. What sanctions are they talking about to me? What we have to see is when they will apologise.”
Sebastian Cáceres is teaThe latest Uruguayan player to express concerns about the way events have unfolded.
“What happened after the game is something anyone could have done,” Cáceres said. “I went up to make sure my family was okay and tried to get my teammates out so it wouldn’t continue.”
Associated Press reports.
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